reading

After yesterday’s TBR, it’s only right to discuss how to create the cosiest reading nook for the shorter days that come with the autumn and winter seasons. I haven’t created my dream nook yet – I will do once we’ve completed on our house – so this is going to be a mixture of what I’m hoping to buy and what I think would be perfect to settle down at the end of a long week and bury myself in another world.

First up, you need pillows. Lots of pillows.

I have a bit of a pillow obsession. They’re the best way to create comfort, whilst also looking super cute too! I love using them for pops of colour/design!

No nook is complete without a blanket.

I love blankets. You can chuck one over any item of furniture and it immediately looks like you’re an adult who has their life together. My favourite blanket is one my grandma made for me – it’s chunky, wide knit and very good at keeping the heat in!

A bit cliche, but string lights = cosiness perfection.

I love a set of string lights! For ultimate reading perfection, try and get ones that have a warmer/yellow glow, particularly if you’re a nighttime reader – there’ll be less blue light in them which won’t disrupt your body’s way of letting you know you’re sleepy!

My phone, social media, video games or binge-watching Grey’s Anatomy always seem to take a higher priority, even though they don’t bring me as much joy. So, I’ve been trying some new behaviours to try and teach myself to make more time.

1. Munching and reading

My most productive reading time? Lunch.

I’m very lucky to be able to take an hour-long lunch break, leaving me about 40 minutes to sit down and read every day of the working week (subtracting time to eat and get settled in). Find a quiet spot, put your headphones in, and you can transport yourself into another world quite easily. It also helps if a work pal reads with you as you can motivate each other to keep going!

2. Go back to your classic

When all else fails, your classic read will always be there for you. My old faithful? Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. Following Lyra’s adventures never gets old and always increases my love of reading. Go back to that book you say down and read in a day – it may just be the one to get you back on track.

3. “App”y reading

I have fallen in love… with an app? The Bookly App is so much more than a handy, digital bookmark. You can track how long you’ve been reading the book so far, see how successful your reading sessions have been, add quotes/thoughts/words as you read (or take photos for later) and even play relaxing sounds, such as a thunderstorm, as you delve into another world. But, and this is the bit that gets me, you can unlock achievements as you go, meaning the more you put into to the app, the more you can get through! Gamification is a sure fire way to get me on board. I use the app pretty much every day, so have splurged on the paid subscription (£4.99) which allows you unlimited books on the app itself (you can only have up to 10 on the free version) and allows you to set yearly reading goals. I really, really, really love this product.

4. Read or write about them

For me, part of the reason I wanted to start a blog is to motivate myself to read more! I have many books I want to read, but I just haven’t done it, so I thought I’d tell you all about them instead! But, if blogging doesn’t seem like your thing, read them. There are book bloggers for all sorts of niche genres (and quite a few every-genre-possible bookworms too!) so there should be a blogger out there for you!

Are you struggling to make time for reading at the moment? What’re you doing to counter it? Share in the comments below and help out a fellow struggling reader! <3

No book is gripping me, interesting me or getting me on board with its narrative. It’s so frustrating to have something that was once my escape from reality becoming a draining factor in my reality.

So, I’m setting myself some reading targets each month to help me focus on getting through the backlog of books I have acquired (and to give me space to buy more!). This month, I’ve only set myself three books to read, as I usually only have an hour or so a day to sit down with a nice paperback) but hopefully I’ll have the chance to get a couple more squeezed in!

I’m low-key obsessed with crime documentaries so when a colleague at work was reading a book written by someone who was in the inner circles of the Kray twins, I basically gave him no choice but to let me borrow it! The author, Tony Lambrianou, was sentenced to 15 years for murder and all kinds of crime after having been a member of the Kray Twins gang throughout the most of their career. I’m hoping to have this read ASAP so I don’t hold on to someone else’s book for too long!

What have we done? Why did it happen? How do we take back control? These are the questions being asked in this book.

If you don’t watch Peston on Sunday, you’re missing out. Robert Peston is one of the best journalists out there, and he actually talks common sense. If like me, you’re still reeling from Brexit and the rise of the alt-right, this book is for you. I’ve read his introduction and the book takes you all the way back to the banking crash in 2008 to assess what happened that has caused Brexit, Trump and the ever-widening gap between those at the top, and those at the bottom.

I love Scandi/Northern crime writers. There’s something about the bleak landscape descriptors that make them the best kind of suspense writing. I picked this up at a little independent bookstore in Totnes and am very much looking forward to starting it. A young woman is found washed up on the shoreline. It’s ruled a suicide, but DI Hulda Hermannsdottir soon finds that another woman went missing at the same time… I just hope it isn’t an obvious ending.

What are you reading at the moment? Are there any books being published soon that you’re looking forward to?

About Me

Hi there!

I'm Natalie!
I'm a bookish, London-based blogger who is desperately failing at juggling full-time work, a blog and the mountainous TBR pile by my bed. Oh, and I'm buying a house - so, there's that too!